


brief respite

by azureforest



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Head pats, M/M, Pre-Relationship, mentions of others - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-06
Updated: 2017-02-06
Packaged: 2018-09-22 11:02:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9605129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/azureforest/pseuds/azureforest
Summary: they exist, continue to exist in their small sphere, even though there is no 'they' in this equation- it smells of pine tables, paper, nutrition drinks and ink, sounds of gentle breathing and sleep.yuzuru tries not to fall in love with the fingers threading through his hair, the way glasses lie askew on keito's nose.he hopes it is not too predictable when he fails.





	

**Author's Note:**

> damn leo back at it again w the rarepairs and archer bias. this is my first time writing either of them, so please forgive me for any mistakes!
> 
> also please join me on this ship its so lonely

There were papers strewn all over the desk, several opened cans of barely-finished beverages standing or rolling on the floor, and behind all the debris, and above all, there was a green-haired boy slumped over on the wood, glasses askew, imprints of his sleeves on his face. Keito obviously hadn’t been having a good day, and the cold was gradually creeping into the student council room to a point it was a bit worrisome- Tired or not, Yuzuru decided he wouldn’t want anyone to sleep here in such conditions, regardless of who they were. He double-checked the windows to ensure they were closed, the heater to make sure it was on (it wasn’t), ordered the stacks of paper to the best of his ability, and lastly, moved to wake the other inhabitant of the room, sleeping soundly, spurred further into unconsciousness by a horrible mixture of sleep deprivation and stress.

Yet delicate hands hovered over the older’s shoulders hesitantly, debating on whether or not he should wake the other, before withdrawing- He looked too peaceful to disturb, despite the tiny trail of drool from the corner of his mouth, dangerously close to damaging important-looking documents which he cleared away immediately- Or perhaps that amplified that oddly helpless effect? He always had seemed quite delicate, after all, but Yuzuru knew full well that the situation was quite the opposite- He had seen him leading Akatsuki on the stage, seen him leading the Student Council, the Archery Club, his class. Keito was not delicate, nor was he helpless- But he was, in that moment, _vulnerable_.

And his own hesitation remained, all the same. How baffling. He was no china doll, he would not shatter from a touch, would not keel over from waking up and moving to a better place to rest.

 _But_ , a voice in his head justified in his stead, _he needs his rest **now** \- Else he may try to work again. We all know that._

 _Hypocrite,_ he spits back, but his mind persists regardless.

_Even if it’s on the surface of a desk. But you can surely fix that._

With a cluck of his tongue and a slightly helpless laugh, Yuzuru backed away to retrieve blankets from a nearby cabinet, along with a pillow, perhaps, as Keito’s arms didn’t seem quite up to the task of making him comfortable- The room was crossed, recrossed again within a few strides, and the butler soon was laying a blanket across his upperclassman’s shoulders, gently lifting his head with delicate hands to lay a cushion underneath. Keito shifted, but not by much, with naught more than a small murmur- His eyes stayed closed, his breathing remained even, and the butler kneeled at the table, resting his chin on top to make sure his colleague-of-sorts looked at least somewhat comfortable, examining his minimal handiwork.

And he lingered, the two breathing the same air for at least a short while, air that smelled of polished wood, freshly-printed paper, roses from the rose-scented ink Wataru had snuck into Keito's fountain pen- Slacking off, which he wouldn’t ever normally consider, but indulged in now that he wasn’t the only one, in a moment he was certain of where his young master was, in a brief moment of respite he only learned of recently. As the only conscious being in the room, he allowed himself to go blank, violet eyes staring past Keito to an invisible point behind him before closing, briefly, just for a moment- There might as well have been no one in the room at all with the silence that settled in. Time passed, surely not too much, no longer than a few moments of complete silence before one stirred.

It was the feeling of a firm, warm hand on his head that brought him back to the present, an affectionate ruffle, a soft, drowsy murmur of “ _thank you, Fushimi_ ” from a pair of lips that were undoubtedly not his, and the surprise that made his eyes go wide- Lime green stared back into his own gaze, and Yuzuru patently waited for the third year to stop patting his head to stand back up, looking unaffected, bowing with a habitual smile and a reflexive, too-polite reply. His red ears betrayed his embarrassment, however, should the student council member have noticed them, as unlikely as that would be.

And apparently, he had not. Keito’s eyes had closed again, but the butler stalled no further- He left the room with swift steps, a nigh-hasty stride, hands folded stiffly behind his back without another word or action to spare- Save for one glance back at the green-haired boy, sleeping soundly at his desk, arms now pulling the cushion and blanket closer to ward off whatever cold was left in the room. And with that, the door was pulled shut, and the sound of footsteps resumed down the hall, echoing only slightly as he found his way back to the tennis court, making a mental list of any other tasks he had yet to complete.

He could not afford to dwell on how nice the weight of the other’s hand had felt, how the slightly rough pat and ruffle had made his chest swell in joy, how much he’d like Keito to do that again.

Because he was not a _dog_. He was not someone who lived for gratification, not someone who lived solely for his own whims and wishes. He was not supposed to expect repayment for his actions.

He was a servant before he was a highschool student.

(Alas, he was also undoubtedly human, and could not stop himself from hoping, hoping for those fingers to thread through his hair once again, accompanied by green eyes and a warm tone. Hoping it would become something regular, hoping the feeling of Keito's hands would become something familiar.

He could not stop himself from falling in love.)

**Author's Note:**

> as always, any feedback is greatly appreciated!


End file.
